I recently re-read Ursula K. leGuin's Earthsea books, and realized that there's a lot I really like about the world's approach to magery. Rather than just people who can throw fireballs around, sorcerors were also general mystic handy-men, capable of earning their keep on the road in the mundanities of day-to-day life.

As currently written, the take on magic in BW is almost totally counter to this. It got me thinking of a good way to fit it into the BW system, preferrably in a fashion complementary to the existing rules. My current idea centers around the addition of a single skill:


Naming Magic -- root: perception

Naming magic represents the character's knowledge of the First Language with which the world was created. Everything in the world has a True Name in this language, and knowing those names and how they fit together grant the mage a very flexible power. Naming magic, like sorcery, is used in conjunction with Will. However, its application is significantly different.

Naming magic requires the Gifted trait.

Naming magic may be used in two ways:
1) The total of Naming magic and Will may be used to FoRK (or help in the use of) most skills. This represents the mage using his knowledge of the first language to cast charms and strengthen the bonds that hold the world together. FoRKing with NM requires maintaining a spell for the duration of the skill use. The NM FoRKed dice are open-ended

Exactly which skills may be FoRKed with NM is up to the GM, but basic examples include most craftsmen, social, peasant, seafaring, and artistic skills.

2) Naming magic + Will may be used in the place of most non-martial skill. Doing so incurs a double-obstacle penalty(1), but the roll is open-ended. Also, a 'spell' must be maintained for the duration of the skill use. This is obvious in using it for things like Stealthy or Disguise, but has more significant implications for craft skills. The result of the craft is only sustained as long as concentration is maintained. There is an instance where Ged builds a boat out of the merest planks, held together almost entirely by magery. However, he couldn't really sleep, lest his concentration falter and the boat disintegrate around him!

Using NM in this fashion requires a Tax test equal to the original obstacle of the task. Like sorcery, these tests are open-ended. Exactly which skills may be replaced with NM is up to the GM, but basic examples include most craftsmen, social, peasant, seafaring, and artistic skills.

notes:
(1) A well-trained mage will probably have a NM+Will of at least as high as double most skills he is not heavily trained in.

As a mage never needs to learn new NM spells, the only really effective way to increase your skill in NM is through study.

NM is a FoRK for sorcery, but not vice versa.

This is meant to supplement, not replace, standard BW magic. To get the really flashy stuff, you also need training in sorcery. In Earthsea context, a village witch or low-ranking sorceror would probably have a few dice in NM, and maybe one in sorcery. [edit] it's also probably worth noting that, in any setting that includes this style of magic, most teachers probably wouldn't teach sorcery to their students until the students had at least three dice in NM first.


So, what do people think? Looks interesting? Massively unbalanced in some fashion? Suggestions for revisions?

Hey Albert,

First, I think Luke would disagree with you about his magic system and Earthsea. I know he looked to Earthsea for inspiration.

Anyway, this seems like it would be massively overpowering. Remember that FoRKs in the current system provide just one die per skill FoRKed. You're talking about adding a multitude of dice to any skill roll (Will + NM!), all of which are open-ended. That's huge! Even if you open end the dice both ways (i.e., 1s and 6s), I think characters with NM would be incredibly more effective than any other characters AND they'll potentially have access to sorcery.

Here's my suggestions if you want to get closer to an Earthsea feel in your game:

First, download the beta Magic Burner chapters for Summoning and Abstractions from the BW Web site, if you haven't looked at them already. They'll go a long way toward getting the Earthsea feel (although they are dangerous as hell).

Second, consider your Sorcery and Summoning skills to represent your knowledge of Names. Actual Sorcery or Summoning is what you do with those names. It's not really a matter of coming up with a new skill, but more about thinking of the existing Sorcery and Summoning (and Enchanting, Alchemy, Automata, and Nigromancy) skills in a different way.

Finally, if you think that doesn't really suit, go ahead and use an actual Naming skill. I would suggest modeling it exactly on the Astrology skill, which can be FoRKed with ANY skill except physical and martial skills. So whenever you attempt anything, even Sorcery and Summoning, you could FoRK in one Naming die. Now here's the kicker, just as with Astrology, the FoRKed Naming die will be open-ended both ways (both 1s and 6s). So if you know precisely the right Name, you can get an incredible success. But if you flub the Name, you REALLY blow it!

How's that sound?

2) Naming magic + Will may be used in the place of most non-martial skill. Doing so incurs a double-obstacle penalty(1), but the roll is open-ended. Also, a 'spell' must be maintained for the duration of the skill use. This is obvious in using it for things like Stealthy or Disguise, but has more significant implications for craft skills. The result of the craft is only sustained as long as concentration is maintained. There is an instance where Ged builds a boat out of the merest planks, held together almost entirely by magery. However, he couldn't really sleep, lest his concentration falter and the boat disintegrate around him!

Using NM in this fashion requires a Tax test equal to the original obstacle of the task. Like sorcery, these tests are open-ended. Exactly which skills may be replaced with NM is up to the GM, but basic examples include most craftsmen, social, peasant, seafaring, and artistic skills.

Negilent wrote: Root for the True Names should be Will, since it involves learning the true names of things and all other wises are Will based.

There is no critisism implied.

Abstraction system makes playing such a wizard an easy reality

Although the spell list in the book barely touches upon the sorcerer-for-hire aspect of the Earthsea tradition, there are a few bits that reveal the passion

But what if the Naming skill was a sorcerous training? When forked into a craft skill, it open ends the skill, much like an Elf Song skill. Of course, only those with the Gifted Trait may select it and the skill must be taught by one who knows the training.